(Note this is not a review, but simply me voicing an oppinion.)
Keywords: Skag, national identity, violence, AIDS and Iggy Pop,
The movie based on the novel is one of my absolute favourites, and I’ve seen it countless times since I was 12. Needless to say, it was about time I gave the book a try,
The novel, unlike the film, is nonlinear, and it is notably absent of a clear storyline arc. It is more a collection or series of (relatively) individual short stories mostly told in a first-person perspective of various friends or associates in Leath, Edinburgh.
It’s mostly written in a phonetic scottish accent, and takes a bbit of getting used to.
Trainspotting focuses on the daily lives and struggles of Mark Renton and his friends, most of whom struggles with a form of destructive addiction. Most notably heroin, but also alcohol, violence, amfetamin etc. Welsh goes into debth to describe in detail the lifestyle, upsides, downsides, effects and the struggles of a heroin addiction. In fact, his descriptions are so thorough that you’ll deeply sympathise with the junkies, wether you like it or not.
This sounds very bleak, I know, and normally it would be. But the way these characters descbribe things that would otherwise repulse me, is kind of what makes it such a brilliant novel. It’s disgusting, and yet somehow beautiful and deadly funny at the same time.
But it’s not all bleak and morbid, Welsh also tackles and challanges controversial issues, such as, Neo-Nazism, Unionism, Thatcher, Capitalism, Orangemen and society’s Values. This is especially shown through Renton’s point of view who venomously attacks these issues on several occasions, and is repulsed by what he percieves as society’s hypocrisy.
There is also a great diversity between the characters, especially the four most notable ones.
From the somewhat caring yet cynnical Renton (Or “Rent Boy” as Begbie enjoys calling him) struggling with heroin, guilt, insecurity, bitterness, and jeleousy. To the slick and self-confident Sick Boy, adept at picking up women and controlling his heroin usage, who has a fondness for playing with his mates heads. And the kind hearted and shy Spud, who possesses a child-like naivete and wishes that everyone would just get along. To the psycopathic, brutal and hateful Begbie, who resents his friends for their heroin addictions, despite his own heavy use of alcohol, violence and amfetamin.
Through the individual characters’ narrations, we learn about their relationships between each other, and their diffrent views.
Each character has their own style of narrating, such as Sick Boy’s habit of coversing with Sean Connery while thinking to himself, and Spud’s habit of referring to people as cats.
To give a short description of the novel’s plot: It narrates the individual characters’ joys and struggles with heroin, personal tragedies, depression, relationships, views on society. All while maintaining a a witty and strong dialogue.
By the way, Trainspotting has punk written all over it, so I suggest listening to The Sex Pistols while reading.
